Winter breaks…

If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?
-Percy Bysshe Shelley

There are only a few days left before Winter Break for most schools here in the US, and the holiday feelings are already very strong. I’m wrapping up a couple of projects (and another semester of doctoral work) before settling in for a long winter’s nap.

At least, I hope I’m able to get a few naps in 😉

Anyway, here are 10 things I think you might enjoy…

10 Things Worth Sharing

A new study discusses whether or not reading print materials is more beneficial for comprehension than reading digital materials.
Here’s a list of self-care habits for kids that we should all probably use at home and at work
As crappy as this sounds, many teachers would rather come to work sick than prepare sub plans. They’re a drag, for sure. However, we can make the job a little easier. Try using AI to create sub plans in 15 minutes.
From the Department of Cool Maps – here’s the world map that introduced scientific mapmaking to the medieval Islamic world around 1154 AD (with a decent measure of the earth’s circumference because they already knew in 1154 that the earth was round…)
As we continue to discuss AI usage in schools, here are some reflections shared by teachers actively involved in AI experiments in the classroom.
Guiding students through inquiry-based learning
Something I need to work on is saying “no” to things. Like you, I’m a pretty busy person. Every time I say “yes” to something, I must say “no” to something else. Sometimes what I say no to is far more important and dear to me than the yes. Ryan Holiday gives us a reminder from Harry Truman to say NO.
I’ve always felt there was a certain danger to keep mementos of any past glories around you. I always think about the men in “Friday Night Lights” who just can’t seem to move beyond that state football championship they won all those years before and haven’t really accomplished much since. Those relics might be mocking you (the term is the “Ozymandias problem”). Maybe it’s time we consider moving on, letting the past crumble, and toss out some of those old trophies.
Gem Prep Learning Societies, a rural Idaho microschooling experiment, offers an alternative to traditional schools and homeschooling. Students learn online and in small, in-person groups for six hours daily, guided by educators. The program combines traditional schooling with online learning. Gem Prep Online’s curriculum is used for both modalities, and students progress with earned autonomy. The program’s first year provided valuable lessons for future expansion.
For those of you who celebrate Christmas and need a playlist for your parties, look no further than Matthew Perpetua’s “At the Holiday Party”

That’s all, folks. Thanks again for hanging out with me on another Friday. I hope you continue to find value in this weekly newsletter.

The Eclectic Educator is a free resource for everyone passionate about education and creativity. If you enjoy the content and want to support the newsletter, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your support helps keep the insights and inspiration coming!

Does the new AI Framework serve schools or edtech?

architecture building campus clark hall — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

The Australian Federal Government released the Australian Framework for Generative AI in Schools on November 30, 2023, as a guide following the introduction of ChatGPT. While acknowledging AI’s potential in education, the Framework emphasizes human wellbeing, privacy, and safety. However, concerns are raised about its relevance and adequacy due to the rapidly evolving nature of generative AI. Critics argue that the Framework, with its six core principles, underestimates AI’s inherent biases and reliability issues, placing unrealistic expectations on educators.

At the 2023 Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) conference, Jane Kenway encouraged participants to develop radical research imaginations. The extraordinary impacts of generative AI require a radical policy imagination, rather than timid or bland statements balancing opportunities and threats. It is increasingly clear that the threats cannot readily be dealt with by schools.
Lucinda McKnight and Leon Furze

The article suggests improvements to the Framework, such as redefining generative AI, acknowledging its limitations, addressing the digital divide, and emphasizing evidence-based policies. It also calls for policies that are inclusive and consider diverse perspectives, stressing the need for teacher-led policy development in AI education. The authors advocate for a radical policy approach that accounts for the far-reaching impacts of AI and ensures that schools play a pivotal role in shaping a just future with AI.

For a comprehensive understanding of these issues, the full article can be read on EduResearch Matters.

Are We Entering an Edtech Renaissance?

low angle photo of the florence cathedral — Photo by Chait Goli on Pexels.com

I remember the days of the early 2010s as a number of edtech tools we now all know and use regularly first hit the scene. And everyone talked about the coolest thing they’d seen and how it would “revolutionize the classroom.”

Plot twist: It didn’t.

Now, we see all the hype around AI and the onslaught of new AI apps made specifically for education. Of course, I’m excited about the potential, but I also see the problem of focusing on the wrong questions.

Catlin Tucker has a good take on what’s happening right now in the world of edtech:

It reminds me of the early days of the edtech boom when I would attend the Computer Using Educators (CUE) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Conferences, and the most popular sessions had titles like “50 Tech Tools in 50 Minutes.” I remember questioning how effective those sessions would be at improving teaching and learning. Yes, attendees were exposed to a list of fun tools they might use, but they were not learning how to use those tools in service of strong pedagogical practices. That is the same concern I have now.

Scrolling through Instagram or TikTok, I see endless videos of teachers sharing AI-powered tools. They demonstrate the efficiency and simplicity with which these tools generate lists of questions, create quick assessments, and plan lessons or entire units. I can appreciate the excitement since lesson planning is a time-consuming endeavor. The piece of the design puzzle missing for me is how educators can use these AI tools to architect student-centered learning experiences that better meet the specific needs of learners.
– Catlin Tucker, PhD

Some days are sad days…

“Don’t wait until the fourth Thursday in November, to sit with family and friends to give thanks. Make every day a day of Thanksgiving!”

— Charmaine J. Forde

It’s been a week here at the Paul house as we processed the passing of my wife’s grandmother. Most days are great, but some days are sad days.

Anyway, here’s this week’s 10 things:

10 Things Worth Sharing

My daughter is 12, and she’s in full Swiftie mode, to be sure. Taylor Nation is having a HUGE impact on pretty much every area of our society, including the economy. Can we use that impact in schools? This teacher did.
Thanks to an incredible effort, students everywhere have access to the history of the Aztec Culture through the Florentine Codex
Common Sense Media launches an AI tool review that may hold some interest for folks still trying to wrap their head around the whole AI takeover
Embracing AI isn’t just about using flashy edtech
Students are missing more school—and maybe that’s not bad
Watching a master at his best is an excellent way to introduce the idea of mastery learning to students. Here’s a master printer as he makes his last print
I have a soft spot in my heart for Tumblr, the little micro-blogging platform that could. I even keep a Tumblr going, for some odd reason. Thankfully, it’s not going anywhere and may spawn even more fans
I know you’ve been sitting around thinking, “Man! I’d love to hear a rendition of ‘Summer’ from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons done with Commodore-based instruments!”—Right?
130+ Photographs of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Masterpiece Fallingwater
Finally, for the vinyl fans, Ted Gioia has a great series on his 50 favorite albums from the golden age of Capitol Records that I think you’ll enjoy.

Embracing AI isn’t just about using flashy edtech

Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@add_rien_20?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Adrien</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/diagram-2IX3TlrCuZQ?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Unsplash</a>

Prince George’s County Public Schools, under the leadership of Superintendent Millard House II, is at the forefront of integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into their educational system. House believes that AI tools like ChatGPT can revolutionize classrooms by equipping students with essential digital-age skills.

House’s focus on technology and AI aligns with the district’s commitment to preparing students for a technologically advanced future. The partnership with the AI Education Project, as part of Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s broader economic initiative, aims to provide cutting-edge education to students, teachers, staff, and school leaders. The district has also prioritized AI literacy and training, empowering nearly 1,500 educators to confidently use and innovate with AI tools. Addressing challenges such as data privacy, algorithmic bias, and ethical use, Prince George’s County Public Schools is dedicated to shaping a future where their community thrives in the age of AI.

AI is no longer a futuristic concept; it is a tangible reality with the potential to enhance and individualize the educational experience for a student population with diverse needs and teachers in our district. So far during the course of this school year, we have trained nearly 1,500 educators. It was amazing to watch the excitement on the staff’s faces when they got to engage with AI tools to support their work and help their students understand the power of AI.

Common Sense launches AI tool reviews

Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@possessedphotography?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Possessed Photography</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/robot-playing-piano-U3sOwViXhkY?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Unsplash</a>

One of my favorite places to check for reviews of tech tools, sites, and such is Common Sense Media. I like their content so much, that I use their digital citizenship curriculum in my schools.

They’ve launched an AI tool review system to help everyone understand a little more about the current AI invasion.

Key components of the initiative include:

AI Product Reviews: Common Sense Media recognizes that AI is a socio-technical system, meaning it’s inseparable from the humans and processes that shape its development and use. Their AI product reviews provide contextual analysis, examining how these products fit within society and identifying potential blind spots in AI systems. These reviews serve as “nutrition labels for AI,” detailing a product’s opportunities, considerations, and limitations.
AI Principles and Assessment: The initiative grounds its AI product reviews in eight principles that reflect Common Sense Media’s values for AI. These principles create a shared understanding and guide for evaluating AI products.
Review Categories: AI products are categorized into three types: Multi-Use (like generative AI for chatbots, image creation, translation tools), Applied Use (specific-purpose AI not designed for kids, like streaming recommendations), and Designed for Kids (AI specifically built for children’s use at home or in school, including educational products for teachers).

Currently, they have 10 reviews posted, including reviews for ChatGPT and Bard.

14 November 2023

Quote of the Day

“Nontraditional students appear to be more at home and successful as learners in classrooms where teachers connect them to subjects in new ways. The students we interviewed recognized and appreciated teachers’ efforts to get to know them and to create classroom settings that encouraged academic engagement and expression of ideas. Yet nontraditional students describe most of their classes as highly structured, teacher-controlled, and regimented.”

Jal Mehta, A Pernicious Myth: Basics Before Deeper Learning

Musical Interlude

Daft Punk is releasing a “drumless” version of their 2013 “Random Access Memories,” and I am absolutely here for it. Here’s the drumless version of “Motherboard”

Long Read of the Day

No one fully understood how smartphones or social media would transform every aspect of our life in the span of fifteen years. AI is a dynamic field, and its impact on education is beyond what any of us could probably comprehend today. The only way we can keep up is by building strong guardrails and regularly assessing and evaluating the extent to which AI tools are enhancing educational outcomes. We must also constantly anticipate and respond to unintended consequences as they emerge. This should include information from academic assessments, surveys, and feedback from teachers and students. The data collected should be used to refine AI implementation strategies and inform policy decisions.

Let’s get this right.
– Khaled Ismail

Photo of the Day

At my daughter’s academic team match last night, I thought I’d grab a quick pic of one of the library shelves. Apparently, there are some Brandon Sanderson fans at this school.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you’ve probably heard me talk about my obsession with Notion as my primary productivity tool. I do my best to put everything in my Notion workspace in some form.

Today, Notion released a beta of the “Q&A” feature that allows you to “talk” with the information in your workspace.

I’m chasing the ultimate content curation strategy with my own Zettelkasten implementation, and this may just be the final piece to the puzzle form. Imagine having quick access to the thousands of articles, highlights, and more you have stored in your Notion workspace. All just by asking a simple question.

Pretty frickin’ cool.

Fill the hours more meaningfully

“The month of November makes me feel that life is passing more quickly. In an effort to slow it down, I try to fill the hours more meaningfully.” – Henry Rollins

Is it just me, or are the short work weeks the ones filled with craziness? It’s been a crazy busy week around these parts, and it’ll be even crazier as we head toward Thanksgiving.

Anyway, here we go…

10 Things Worth Sharing

This week’s 10 things…

Political Scientist Ian Bremmer Breaks Down the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Ummm… did you know there’s a sequel to the greatest film ever made to teach kids how to handle emotions? Yes, there’s an Inside Out 2 on the way.
Why libraries are being considered “dangerous”
An interesting problem worth investigating: Visualizing the World’s Space Debris by Country Responsible
Help your students improve their concentration
Why Don’t Americans Use the Metric System? (because ‘MERICA!!!!)
7 principles for AI in education
Innovation spreads faster when you can observe it happening. Seeing is believing.
Alice Keeler has a great FigJam activity on gratitude you can use with your whole class (FigJam, btw, is my recommended replacement for the soon-to-be-extinct Jamboard)
Finally, I wonder if the Manifesto of the Idle Parent could be modified into a Manifesto of the Idle Teacher. Certainly, we should push our students to do more and more of the work on their own as they grow, giving us time to help those who still struggle. Oh, and give us time to drink coffee…

BONUS: I’ve been jamming to this album from Azymuth, a Brazilian jazz-funk band. It’s fantastic and makes for great background music while you work

Is ChatGPT’s Output Degrading?

photo of a cracked surface — Photo by Tóth Viktor on Pexels.com

A recent study from Stanford University and UC Berkeley has found that the behavior of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT has “drifted substantially” over time, but this does not necessarily indicate a degradation of capabilities. The researchers tested two versions of GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 on tasks such as math problems, answering sensitive questions, code generation, and visual reasoning. They found significant changes in performance between the March and June 2023 versions of these models. For instance, GPT-4’s accuracy in solving math problems dropped from 97.6% to 2.4%, while GPT-3.5’s accuracy increased from 7.4% to 86.8%.

The study’s findings highlight the risks of building applications on top of black-box AI systems like ChatGPT, which could produce inconsistent or unpredictable results over time. The researchers recommend continuous evaluation and assessment of LLMs in production applications and call for more transparency in the data and methods used to train and fine-tune these models. However, some experts argue that the media has misinterpreted the paper’s results as confirmation that GPT-4 has gotten worse, stating that the changes in behavior do not necessarily indicate a degradation in capability.

Teachers increasingly embrace ChatGPT — students not so much

children sitting on chair in front of table — Photo by Max Fischer on Pexels.com

According to a survey conducted by the Walton Family Foundation and Impact Research, the use of AI tools among teachers has seen a significant increase, growing 13 percentage points from winter to summer. The survey found that 63% of teachers are now using AI, up from 50% in February. On the other hand, student participation has also increased but at a slower pace, rising from 33% to 42% during the same period.

The survey results revealed that a large majority of teachers (84%) who have used ChatGPT reported that the AI technology has positively impacted their classes. As the use of AI in education continues to grow, Common Sense Media announced plans to develop an in-depth AI ratings and reviews system to assess AI products used by children and educators on responsible AI practices and other factors.

The article also mentions that while some districts have blocked ChatGPT and other AI-powered tools, others are exploring how the technology can improve education workplace practices. As interest and use intensify, many education professionals are searching for guidance and credible sources of information on ways to safely and effectively incorporate AI.

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